Public to have say on Matapihi pipeline

The Tauranga community will now have their say on a proposal to spend $1.73 million connecting Matapihi marae, school and marae zone housing to the southern pipeline.

Councillor Gail McIntosh was the only person to vote again the project going out for public consultation during a meeting at council chambers today.


Councillors have voted 10-1 for public consultation on the Matapihi pipeline. Photo: Andrew Campbell.

However, she endorsed comments by other councillors in favour of the project going ahead.

Steve Morris voted for it, but raised concerns that one suburb not be seen as receiving better treatment that another, like Papamoa, which transferred from septic tanks to sewer connections after the 1989 amalgamation.

Mayor Stuart Crosby says relying on precedent is 'a trap for young players”.

Individual circumstances should have more weight, as did looking ahead to the future, says Stuart.

Kelvin Clout says the decision has been on the board for a long time. He thinks it's important the people of Matapihi have access to the southern pipeline.

”The situation does have history to it, which is not being openly addressed in chambers,” says councillor John Robson. Read more here.

'I hope the consultation will reflect on what's right going forward.”

The project is to be paid for by a rates funded loan over two years, with other capital and operational costs charged to property owners.

The scheme is intended to reduce environmental leaching by removing the input from the marae, the school and the kohanga reo. Marae zone housing will be connected and properties adjoining or adjacent to the pipeline will be able to connect.

Housing outside the marae zones or not directly adjacent to the Matapihi Marae wastewater pipeline will remain on septic tanks.

The proposal is to service 60 existing dwellings clustered around the two marae and provide for the possible additional 40 houses currently permitted within these two Marae Zones.

There is the potential that more properties would want to connect in the future.

They include about 160 additional existing houses in the Rural Zone, and another 30 or so additional houses in the three papakainga housing clusters. Plus another 150 houses that could be built on rural zoned multiple-owned Maori land

The option of extending the system to include the three Papakainga clusters of 31 existing houses and 30 future additional houses is not recommended by staff due to because of increased pressure to urbanise the Matapihi peninsula which is not in accordance with the community's intentions as articulated in the Matapihi Landuse Plan.

It would also cost another $1 million, and direct access off the southern pipeline for each area will compromise the life of the southern pipeline and is not recommended.

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7 comments

waste

Posted on 28-01-2016 14:47 | By dumbkof2

hook everybody up but make them pay like everybody else


Could Steve Morris confirm

Posted on 28-01-2016 18:55 | By Annalist

Did Papamoa residents pay for their sewerage scheme themselves or was the cost paid by all Tauranga ratepayers? That said, I thought all the route and connections of the Southern Pipeline had already been sorted.


What's Up Doc ???

Posted on 28-01-2016 21:29 | By The Caveman

My understanding was that the Matapihi residents were dead against the council sewerage pipeline passing through the Matapihi on


Yeah but

Posted on 29-01-2016 08:38 | By Gigilo

Who in their right mind would start a public works project that could not be finished. This is serious and the people responsible need to account for their actions. We have been sold a dummy where to get over the line requires rubber stamping extortion. A sad outcome for Tauranga.


@ Gililo

Posted on 29-01-2016 11:03 | By Crash test dummies

Yeah that about sums it up, the alternative is that the locals have been opportunistic, and extracted advantage in a purported attempt to take advantage, all at a huge cost to ratepayers. Personally I hoped that the Matapihi groups would unite and stop the thing entirely, that would have been the best result.


Bullshit artists

Posted on 29-01-2016 11:03 | By Powa2daPeopl

So now it comes out.. It IS possible for Matapihi residents to access the pipe! Wahoo! Sad how the TCC makes a big fat woopsie and the victims of their mistakes are vilified. Caveman.. That you are.. Assuming, creating fictional fact from your own uninformed opinion. 06/07: "TCC catching up on consultation with residents"..obviously not all residents were/are thoroughly informed. 15/11: Matapihi has "inadequate running water, no sewerage". And I'd just like to add..serves as thoroughfare for foot, bike traffic. Also they are the people whom gifted the land Bayfair and the Maungatapu highway exist on. Bottom line TCC lied to the residents regarding the pipe, for 8 or so years! so what else are they lieing to us all about??!!


Balanced?

Posted on 30-01-2016 12:57 | By penguin

So often Maori refer to the concept of 'partnership.' It would appear that the Matapihi group defines partnership, as


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